The silky phainopepla is back for his winter visit.
His black feathers glisten as he sways atop a tall ocotillo branch.
He feeds on the coral berries of the desert mistletoe.
Birders come from all over the world to "life list" him.
And he lives in my palo verde trees.
There's snow high on the mountains outside my kitchen window.
The air is clear and a mild seventy degrees.
I swam in my pool just two weeks ago
But the icy night breezes have chilled it
Beyond my fortitude.
